Gladiator Update

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Come shed some blood: Images and impressions.

By Douglass C. Perry

There is no doubt about it, Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance may appear at first glance like an ordinary beat-'em-up, but the visceral nature of the gladiator combat delivers a certain bloodlust that's unlike many other games. At Acclaim's rather low-key Summer Gamer's Day in SF, we saw the PS2 and Xbox versions, and everything from the streaming technology to the freshly working levels indicates it's going to be good bloody fight.

The version of Gladiator we saw today includes four complete levels (there were only four small bits of levels shown at E3), two of the magic abilities and a slew of new enemies all shown on screen simultaneously. There are three levels of magic -- Herculean (Fire-based), Plutonium (Wraith-based, a soul-sucking power to regain energy), and Jovian (a circle of shockwaves is issued when this is activated), all of which were shown today.

A gladiator-styled action-driven title, Gladiator is based on three weapons and a slew of 2-3 button combos. Oh yeah, and the whole mythology of ancient Rome and Roman Coliseum-style thing? That's quite prevalent too, heh. The sword, axe and gauntlets each deliver unique styles of pain and bloodshed upon their victims, and each can be upgraded to perform magic spells to enhance the viciousness of the attacks. The gauntlets are quick and vicious, the axe is slow but brutal, and the sword acts as a mid-style weapon.

We're told that Gladiator will run at 30 FPS on PS2 and 60 FPS on Xbox when all is said and done (the game is due in late September/early October). Check out the screens and come back later when we post movies!